RA Terms Finale

Allegory - Using characters or stories to represent abstract ideas or moral truths.

Alliteration - Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words (e.g., "she sells sea shells").

Allusion - A reference to something commonly known (e.g., historical, literary, or mythological).

Ambiguity - Multiple meanings of a word, phrase, or passage (e.g., "We saw her duck").

Analogy - Comparing two things to explain something unfamiliar (e.g., ignorance and shipwrecks).

Anaphora - Repeating the same words at the start of lines or sentences for emphasis (e.g., "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times").

Anecdote - A short, interesting story to illustrate a point.

Antecedent - The word a pronoun refers to in a sentence.

Antithesis - Juxtaposing contrasting ideas in a balanced way (e.g., "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst").

Aphorism - A short, witty statement of truth or principle (e.g., "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it").

Apostrophe - Addressing an absent person or abstract concept (e.g., "O Captain! My Captain!").

Asyndeton - Omitting conjunctions in a list for emphasis (e.g., "He received medals, honors, titles").

Atmosphere - The emotional mood of a work, often set by setting and description.

Chiasmus - Reversing the structure of phrases (e.g., "The land was ours before we were the land’s").

Clause - A group of words with a subject and verb; independent clauses can stand alone, but dependent ones cannot.

Colloquialism - Use of informal or slang language (e.g., regional dialects).

Coherence - Logical and clear organization of ideas in writing.

Conceit - An extended, clever metaphor comparing dissimilar things (e.g., "My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun").

Connotation - Implied meaning or emotional association of a word.

Denotation - Literal dictionary definition of a word

Metaphor – A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. It makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought-provoking, and meaningful.

Metonymy (mi-tun-uh-mee) – A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

Mood – In literature, mood is the atmosphere of the narrative, which is established to affect the reader emotionally and psychologically and to provide a feeling for the narrative. It is created by means of setting, diction, tone or attitude (of the narrator and of the characters), and descriptions (imagery, figurative language, vivid language, etc.).

Narrative – The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

Onomatopoeia (on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh) – A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur.

Oxymoron – From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.

Paradox – A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense, but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity. It is used to point out an apparent contradiction.

Parallelism – AKA parallel construction or parallel structure. It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase. The effects of parallelism are numerous, but frequently they act as an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm.

Parody – A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.

Pedantic (puh-dan-tik) – An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.

Periodic sentence – A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone.

Personification – A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions. Personification is used to make these abstractions, animals, or objects appear more vivid to the reader.

Polysyndeton (poly-sin-dih-ton) – Figure of addition and emphasis which employs a series of conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) not normally found in successive words, phrases or clauses; the deliberate use of excessive conjunctions in successive words or clauses.

First person POV -tells the story with the first person pronoun, “I.” This narrator can be the protagonist, a participant (character in a secondary role), or an observer (a character who merely watches the action).

Second person POV -addresses the reader with the second person pronoun, “you,” as part of the text.

third person omniscient - the narrator, with godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters. This all-knowing narrator can reveal what each character feels and thinks at any given moment.
third person limited omniscient - presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all remaining characters. This definition applies in question in the multiple-choice section.

Prose – Prose refers to fiction and non-fiction texts that are not verse/poetry. The printer determines the length of the line, as opposed to poetry, in which the poet determines the length of the line.

Repetition – The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Rhetoric – The art or skill of speaking or writing formally and effectively, especially as a way to persuade or influence people.

Rhetorical modes – This flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. The four most common rhetorical modes, often referred to as modes of discourse, are the following:

exposition -(or expository writing) is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.

argumentation -is to prove the validity of an idea or point of view by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader. Persuasive writing is a type of argumentation having an additional aim of urging some form of action.

description -is to recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event, or action so that the reader can picture it. Sometimes an author engages all five senses in description. Descriptive writing may be straightforward and objective or highly emotional and subjective.

narration - is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events. This writing mode frequently uses the tools of descriptive writing.

Rhetorical Question (Erotesis) – A question not answered by the writer because the answer is obvious, used for emphasis or effect. Ex – Could you be nourished if the food suffered no change?

Sarcasm – Bitter, caustic language meant to hurt or ridicule, often witty but can be cruel if poorly done.

Satire – Writing that ridicules human vices or social conventions, using irony, wit, parody, and hyperbole for insight or humor.

Semantics – The study of word meanings, their development, connotations, and relationships.

Style – Refers to an author’s unique blend of diction, syntax, and literary devices, or classification into historical/literary movements.

Subordinate Clause – A clause with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone. Ex – Although she smiled, she was upset.

Syllogism – Deductive reasoning with two premises leading to a conclusion. Ex – All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

Symbol/Symbolism – Concrete objects or actions representing abstract ideas. Categories – natural, conventional, and literary symbols.

Synecdoche – A metaphor where a part represents the whole or vice versa. Ex – "Wheels" for a car or "hands" for workers.

Syntax – How words are grouped into phrases and sentences, influencing tone and meaning.

Theme – The central idea or insight into life a work offers, often implied in fiction.

Thesis – A sentence or group of sentences expressing the main idea or argument in expository writing.

Tone – The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience, such as playful, serious, or sarcastic.

Understatement – Presenting something as less significant for humor or emphasis. Ex – The earthquake caused minor disruption.

Undertone – A hidden attitude beneath the apparent tone. Ex – A cheery surface with grim undertones.

Wit – Clever and surprising language that delights with its intellectual humor and pointed remarks.